Italian media: ‘Lazio without captain Ciro Immobile against AZ’ | European Football

The Gazzetta reports that Immobile, who has already missed ten games this season due to injuries, is even uncertain for the Roman derby against AS Roma in less than two weeks. TV channel Sky maintains that the 33-year-old attacker may already be able to play football against Bologna next weekend.

Lazio coach Maurizio Sarri will give a press conference later on Monday to confirm the news. Immobile played 27 games in all competitions this season, scoring eleven times.

AZ goes to Rome with 21 football players for the first game against Lazio in the eighth finals of the Conference League. Trainer Pascal Jansen has included winter purchase Sven Mijnans (who came over from Sparta) and the talents Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro, Mexx Meerdink and Lewis Schouten for the first time in his selection for a European game.

AZ and Lazio meet on Tuesday evening at the Stadio Olimpico, where the kick-off is at 6.45 pm. The Alkmaarders, who are in third place in the Eredivisie, reached the last sixteen in the Conference League as group winners. Lazio finished one level higher in the Europa League, third in the group, behind Feyenoord and FC Midtjylland. All clubs in this group achieved 8 points; based on the goal difference, Feyenoord and Midtjylland continued in the Europa League.

Jansen only has five defenders at his disposal, because Bruno Martins Indi, Sam Beukema, Zinho Vanheusden and Maxim Dekker, among others, are recovering from injuries. Midfielders Dani de Wit and Riechedly Bazoer are also missing. The young attacker Meerdink, who has already scored six times this season in the UEFA Youth League, will go to Rome.

Lazio settled in the intermediate round of the Conference League over two matches with the Romanian club Cluj (1-0). The team of trainer Maurizio Sarri caused a stunt in Serie A on Friday by winning 0-1 at the unapproachable leader Napoli. AZ coach Jansen said after this match that he was ‘very happy’ with this draw.

The game starts on Tuesday, instead of the normal Thursday evening for the Conference League, because Lazio and AS Roma share a stadium. Due to this decision, AZ played against Vitesse in the Eredivisie last Friday. The Alkmaarders won this match 0-1.

The return in Alkmaar is scheduled for next Thursday.